The PS said that the process
was mandatory to all persons above 6 years of age and was part of the
government’ transformation agenda since 2013.

“NIIMS registration will
generate a unique number (Huduma Namba) whose purpose for personal unique
identification to facilitate government services. It captures biometric data of
all citizens and foreigners from the age of six, creates and manages a central
master population register,” explained Thuge.

He added that government’s
agenda had to be informed by an accurate data of its population for efficient
service delivery, national resource management and project infrastructure.

The launch on Monday started
testing the Sh6 billion plan to register 50 million Kenyans for a digital
database.

In Kiambu, it has been
earmarked to take place at Kiganjo Corner One in Kamenu Ward Thika, Kamwangi in
Gatundu North and Rironi in Limuru Constituency.

Mass registration of persons
across the whole country has been scheduled to begin on March 18, 2019 and will
take 30 days.

The number will assist the
government to develop a national biometric population database of all persons
in order to assign a personal unique identification that will help detect and
prevent fraud, impersonation or any other crime.

The mass registration, which
is set to take place will take place in homes, and special institutions like
prisons, hospitals, learning institutions…

For one to be registered,
they are required to be physically present and at least an identification document
such as a Birth Certificate, ID Card, Driving license or a KRA pin.

While speaking at the same
venue, PS Energy Dr. Eng. Joseph K. Njoroge said that the Huduma Namba simply incorporated all
the government registration documents into one for easier identification.

He promised
to follow up the matter of unavailability of the 10 electricity transformers that
had been assigned to Thika but were yet to be delivered since last year.

He appealed
to both Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu and the area MP Eng. Patrick Wainaina
co-operate in developing the region especially in regards to taking back Thika
to its heydays when it was the “Birmingham of Kenya”.

On his
part, Eng. Wainaina proposed an amendment to the constitution to revert the
health sector back to the national government acknowledging the fact counties
were too ill equipped to handle challenges of the sector.

“Counties
have been overwhelmed by matters health and it was time the sector was reverted
back to the national government. One of my priorities at the moment is to push
the national government to build a level 4 hospital in Kiganjo due to its high
population and as part of the government BIG AGENDA. It would be very
unfortunate if we get such a facility only for it to face the same fate as
other health facilities across the country,” said the Thika Town MP.

He called
for patience among the residents as the construction BAT-Kiganjo road was due
to kick off in the next two months once the contractor was done with the
Broadway-Athena Road.

He said
that other roads had kicked off and in the next few months, Thika residents
will start reaping the benefits of accessible roads and street lighting
programmes that were ongoing.

The Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) Thika Satellite in partnership with Lil Magic Foundation conducted a one-day blood donation campaign aimed at increasing blood stocks so as to save lives and alleviate human suffering. The campaign, dubbed the ‘#ShareYourLove was also conducted in 22 blood donation sites across the country and will target adult blood donors of between the ages 18 and 65 years.

The campaign, whose theme was, “Show your love, donate blood” was expected to garner over 150 units of blood within Thika Sub County and to reach over one million people with information on the importance of blood donation. All blood donors received a red rose that signifies love of life.

The Manager Lil Magic Foundation Mr. Rennox Onyango said that the initiative is aimed at providing a platform for Kenyans to demonstrate their love by giving blood, which is a priceless gift to someone they may never know or meet in their life time.

According to research conducted recently by the blood agency indicated that adult blood donors were more reliable and responsive than those in learning institutions. The government collected a total of 149, 642 units of blood last year, representing 83.1% of the annual target of 180, 000 units.

The national requirement, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) standard, is 400,000 units, presupposing that if 1% of the entire population donated blood once in a year, the country is considered blood sufficient.

Police from Kihumbuini AP Post in Gatanga, Murang’a County were yesterday called in to avert a looming ‘bloody’ confrontation between villagers of upper Gathinji Village in Kiunyu Location fresh streamlining (boundary) demarcation.

Tension reach fever pitch when land officials from Thika land office led by a land registrar Robert Mugendi and sub county surveyor Franklin.

The officials that gone there to resolve boundary dispute lodged by Samuel Karungo Kihara against 6 neighbors who he claimed had encroached his land but the claims were dismissed by Amos Kamau as mere propaganda.

Even before they alighted from their van, the land officials were circumnavigated by panga brandishing villagers shouting that they were not going to allow any land demarcation.

Franklin and Mugendi had a hectic time trying to cool the irate villagers. At one time, police officers had to cock their guns and threatened to haul tear gas canisters when the situation tried to get out of hand.

The officers had to keep the warring parties on separate sides.

Kihara had had through Kihumbuini ACC Racheal Mulandi petitioned the Thika land office to come and put the disputed boundaries in order and put off the smoldering rivalry in the village. He claims that almost 1 ha of his land had been encroached by a neighbor.

The land officials clarified that they had not come to demarcate any land but had come to properly fix boundaries that were being contested.

Following claims by Kihara that the chief was poking his nose in land issues, the acc said no administrator was supposed to interfere in land matter.

“Only fool who can claim that chiefs are involved in land matters the law is very clear on the roles of administrators”, she said

Kihara had sought to have the contentious parcels of land subdivided to stream line boundaries.

He says that only then, they will resolve their acrimonious war of sub dividing their piece of land of 2.6acres with his younger brother James Mburu Kihara.

Kihara dismissed Mburu claims that he wanted to secretly sell the land.

After a hot tempered discussion it was agreed that all parties meet at Thika land office on February 26, to be shown the scale map and land registration status before going on the ground to erect boundary beacon.

Even after the meeting, police had to force the warring parties to disperse as they wanted to engage in cock fight.

All hawkers trading within Thika have been given up to Sunday
17th of February 2019 to vacate the streets of Thika’s CBD or else
they face the full wrath of the law.

This was announced on Tuesday by the Thika District Business
Association (TDBA) chairperson Alfred Wanyoike during the Thika Business Open
Forum that was held at Coconut Grill Hotel.

While responding to some of the queries posed to TDBA by
traders, Wanyoike told them that following a joint meeting between the association,
the County Government of Kiambu and the hawkers’ representatives, it was agreed
that these vendors will only be allowed on the streets beginning 7pm when the
formal businesses close shop.

“Any hawker who will operate within the CBD during the day
will be arrested and charged in court. Thika hawkers have been allocated some
space along the stadium wall where they will operate from during the day,” said
the chairperson.

He added that plans were underway to create a database of
all hawkers operating within Thika in a bid to keep track of all those doing
genuine business and ensure order and security to members of public during their
hours of operations.

Similar fate awaits the fruits vendors who also have until
Sunday to wheel their mikokoteni off the streets within the CBD.

Consequently, informal traders operating illegal structures/kiosks
have also been given notice to vacate from the CBD’s pavements, around Mama
Ngina Garden and in front of people’s businesses pending the commencement of a
World Bank project to improve and expand the town’s infrastructure and street
lighting under the Nairobi Metropolitan infrastructure development programme.

They will by June this year be relocated to Government
Quarters once those residing in the yard have been moved to Depot area near the
Thika Fire Station.

On the case of the land rates, the chairman notified the
traders that the county government had halted the implementation of the new
rates pending the outcome of the ongoing public participation sessions which
will bring forth the rates to be implemented for the fiscal year 2020-2021.

“The county government has suspended the implementation of
the new rates and land owners are therefore expected to continue paying the old
rates,” he said.

TDBA Board of Trustee Chairperson Waweru Nderitu addressing members of Thika business community in Thika during their open forum on Tuesday.

In relation to parking fees, Wanyoike said that the new
rates had been arrived at to discourage outsiders who had formed a habit to
park their vehicles in Thika and then leave to work in Nairobi using public
transport. This lot he said, occupied the most parking spaces in the town,
leaving most residents without enough space for parking.

He also notified members that they were also taking stock on
all those who had applied for reserved parking to ensure that none was allowed
to have more than two slots reserved for them.

“We are also in consultation with the county government to have
a database of traders within the CDB
whereby those with vehicles can be allowed to pay a monthly parking fee of sh.
1000.”

He added that it was against the county by-laws to block
anyone from parking their vehicles on these designated parking lots after 6pm
as all parking reservations ended after close of business each day.

“We are also
following up on cases where innocent motorists are being victimised by both the
county parking attendants and traffic police over double-parking. Until the
authorities provide enough parking space, we will not allow such harassment
especially if the vehicle has someone on standby to drive it off to allow those
on the provided parking space get out once they are through with their
business,” he explained.

TDBA Board of Trustee Chairperson Waweru Nderitu reminded
the traders of the power in numbers saying that disunity among them rendered
them weak and exposed to manipulation and exploitation by those in authority.

“Those in authority will always take advantage of our
disunity and exploit us to their advantage. The bigger our numbers the more
these leaders will take our concerns seriously. We need to consolidate the
voice of Thika in TDBA to guarantee ourselves a more conducive business
environment,” said Waweru.

He however challenged the traders to honour their obligation
to the association to pay their membership subscriptions to ease its operations.

Gatanga MP Joseph Duati and Kakuzi/Mitumbili ward MCA Pelacia Muthoni at Kinyangi primary school officially opening a new classroom and a toilet build through CDF

Kinyangi village in the midst of a British owned company in the name Kakuzi Company Ltd. has been in the news for all wrong reasons.

The cries of the poor slum dwellers who are living not like human beings but rather like "wild beasts" has drawn the attention of their elected leaders who visited the almost falling shanty village that stands without hope. Kinyangi village is beseeched, abandoned, segregated and neglected with the dwellers living in a very pathetic state sharing their foods with the marauding monkeys who have invaded the village over the years.

The residents led by Peter Murigi who is squatters chairman claimed that the monkeys were brought in a lorry and dropped to torment them that they may leave what they believe was their ancestral land.

Murigi said the company had blocked all access roads and are forced to acquire a gate-pass to access their homes. He also said many girls have dropped out of school and others married at an early stage due to poverty.

The chairman also said the residents are forced to cover their broken houses with papers and sacks as they are prohibited by the company to repair their houses, instead he said they were supposed to leave whenever their houses fall.

They live in what they refer to as "self-confused houses" together with their children with no toilets at all and what they use instead is a what they refer to as "flying toilets" where they put their human waste in the banned paper bags, pretend to be on a journey then throw it into the forest.

Gatanga MP Joseph Duati Ngugi together with Kakuzi/Mitumbili ward MCA Pelagia Muthoni and other leaders visited the village and met with the angry residents as they commissioned a new class and a new toilet build through CDF for Kinyangi primary school which had also been neglected for so long.

Kinyangi and Gititu primary schools are among the surrounding schools Kakuzi Ltd claim stand in their land and which the MP ordered the company to release their title deeds as they are public schools which the government want to pump millions of money to change their status. Kinyangi primary school was ranked the last in Muranga country in last year's KCPE.

The residents claimed this was contributed by the poor environment both at home and in school where the pupils study in difficulty situations. They also divulged that the pupils travel long distances as approximately 3000 IDPs live on the leeward side of the expansive Kakuzi hills after they were forcefully evicted by the Kakuzi Company Ltd years back.

The MP and the MCA assured the residents that the government would launch investigations on claims that school girls and women were being attacked and sexually assaulted by Kakuzi guards as they pass through the thick expansive forest adding that action would be taken if the truth is established.

They also said the residents would be settled soon saying negotiations by both county and national governments and the Kakuzi company were in top gear. The MP however said he has petitioned parliament over the same saying 55 years after independence the government will not allow a foreign company to continue tormenting Kenyans.

However, Kakuzi management have ever denied these allegations with Simon Odhiambo who is the operation manager saying. Kakuzi PLC has no control over the people who are living on this piece of land Kinyangi.

He said the piece of land in question is adjacent to a public road (D424) and that Kakuzi does not control any access along this road or any other public road on its property.

He also said Kakuzi PLC has made the relevant authorities aware of the people living at Kinyangi and that they are not responsible for the poor conditions the people live in.

Papaya
is a delicious tropical fruit that is loaded with antioxidants, which can
reduce inflammation, fight diseases and help keep you looking young.

Papaya
is a natural source of vitamins and minerals that are essential for the normal
functioning of the body. It is famous for its luscious taste and sunlit color
of the tropics and can be eaten as a fruit in the raw form, a smoothie, a
milkshake, or as a vegetable in various recipes.

In
fact, Christopher Columbus, an Italian voyager once referred to papayas as the
fruit of the angels.

Eating
papaya fruit can help to strengthen your immune system and improve your
digestive health. It can also help improve your eyesight, lower cholesterol
levels, and give a boost to your skin’s health. Papaya fruit is also a good
source of vitamins such a vitamin C, E, and A.

Latex
derived from the raw papaya fruit is used as a meat tenderizer and is also used
in the manufacturing of several cosmetic, skin, and beauty products, as well as
certain chewing gums.

They
are available for consumption throughout the year.

The
whole fruit, including other parts of the tree, are beneficial to health in
several ways. Papaya in raw form contains enzymes, which are used in the
preparation of dietary supplements and chewing gums.

According
to the USDA National Nutrient Database, papaya is rich in antioxidant nutrients
such as carotenes, flavonoids, and vitamin C, as well as vitamin B (folate and
pantothenic acid). It is also a good source of fiber and minerals such as
magnesium. Together, these nutrients help improve cardiovascular health and
protect against colon cancer.

Here
are some of the top health benefits of papaya….

~ Lowers cholesterol

Papaya
is rich in fibre, Vitamin C and antioxidants which prevent cholesterol build up
in your arteries. Too much cholesterol build-up can lead to several heart
diseases including heart attack and hypertension.

~ Helps
in weight loss

Those
looking to lose weight must include papaya in their diet as it is very low in
calories. The fibre content in papaya leaves you feeling full and also clears
your bowel movement making your weight loss regime easier.

~ Boosts your immunity

Your
immunity system acts as a shield against various infections that can make you
really sick. A single papaya contains more than 200% of your daily requirement
of Vitamin C, making it great for your immunity.

~ Good for diabetics

Papaya
is an excellent food option for diabetics as it has a low-sugar content even
though it is sweet to taste. Also, people who don’t have diabetes can eat
papaya to prevent it from happening.

~ Great
for your eyes

Papaya
is rich in Vitamin A which helps protect your vision from degenerating. Nobody
wants to lose their ability to see due to diseases like age-related macular
degeneration, and eating papayas will ensure that you do not see a day where
you cannot see.

~ Protects against arthritis

Arthritis
can be a really debilitating disease and people who have it may find their quality
of life reduced significantly. Eating papayas are good for your bones as they
have anti-inflammatory properties along with Vitamin C which helps in keeping
various forms of arthritis at bay. A study published in Annals of the Rheumatic
Diseases showed that people who consumed foods low in

Vitamin
C were three times more likely to have arthritis than those who didn’t.

~ Improves digestion

In
today’s times, it is near impossible to avoid eating foods that are bad for
your digestive system. Often we find ourselves eating junk food or restaurant
food prepared in excessive quantities of oil. Eating a papaya daily can make up
for such occasional mistakes, as it has a digestive enzyme known as papain
along with fibre which helps improve your digestive health.

~ Helps ease menstrual pain

Women
who are experiencing menstrual pain should help themselves to several servings
of papaya, as an enzyme called papain helps in regulating and easing flow
during menstrual periods.

~ Prevents signs of ageing

All of
us would love to stay young forever, but no one in this world has managed to do
it. Still, healthy habits like eating a papaya daily will prolong the process
and may make you look 5 years younger than you are. Papaya is rich in Vitamin
C, Vitamin E and antioxidants like beta-carotene which helps prevent your skin
from free radical damage keeping wrinkles and other signs of ageing at bay.

~ Prevents cancer

Papaya
is a rich source of antioxidants, phytonutrients and flavonoids that prevent
your cells from undergoing free radical damage. Some studies have also linked
the consumption papaya to reduced risk of colon and prostate cancer.

~ Helps
reduce stress

After
working hard for the whole day, it is a good idea to come home to a plate a
papayas. The wonder fruit is rich in several nutrients like Vitamin C which can
keep you free from stress.

According
to a study conducted in University of Alabama, found that 200 mg of Vitamin C
can help regulate the flow of stress hormones in rats.

"University training must be responsive to the challenges and needs of the country, the region and humanity. The training should be relevant and of the highest quality" says Prof. Stanley Waudo MKU Vice-Chancellor.

Prof. Waudo explains, MKU has continued to integrate effective quality assurance and control mechanisms in its operations. The university has in place systems that ensure the expectations of students and of other stakeholders are effectively met.

For example, MKU’s ISO certified quality management system (QMS) ensures that the teaching and learning environment, and processes, are effectively managed to widely accepted global standards.

“It is out of this commitment that we ensure we are in good books with the regulator, the Commission for University Education (CUE),” the VC stresses.

“Last September, the university transitioned from the ISO 9001:2008 QMS to the revised standard – ISO 9001:2015 QMS. The university first obtained ISO certification on December 19, 2012,” he adds.

Prof. Waudo explains that transitioning from ISO 9001:2008 to ISO 9001:2015 certification was not a walk in the park for the university. It was a time-consuming yet rewarding process.

When the new standard was published, the university had to bring together all internal stakeholders to develop a work plan detailing the journey to certification.

“We had benefitted immensely from ISO 9001:2008. So, it was natural that we transition to the upgraded standard,” Prof. Waudo says.

“ISO 9001:2015 is a quality management tool that enhances efficiency in operations,” he adds.

The scope of MKU’s quality management system is broad, covering all its campuses and centres.
MKU has also amended its Service Charter and improved the framework for development and evaluation of performance contracts.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

The university has robust internal quality assurance mechanisms that ensure its graduates have the desired knowledge, skills, creative abilities and moral qualities.

Hence, various professional bodies have accredited MKU programmes, an assurance that the university is walking the narrow path of sticking to guidelines that guarantee quality.

Prof Waudo points out that accreditation certifies quality and relevance of academic programmes. It also certifies compliance of the institution offering the academic programmes with the set training standards and regulations.

The focus of accreditation is on quality of institutional teaching facilities, governance, human resource, programmes teaching and learning processes, examination and certification processes, among others.

Early last year, the MKU Bachelor of Science in Nursing programme was re-accredited by the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK).

Mid last year, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) fully accredited the university’s Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programme. Then on October 25, CLE inspected MKU Parklands Law Campus in respect of the Diploma in Law Programme, and thereafter licensed the campus as a Legal Education Provider pursuant to the provisions of Legal Education Act and the relevant regulations.

The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health and Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Management programmes are being considered for accreditation by the Public Health Officers and Technicians Council (PHOTC), and the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya respectively.

The university programmes are approved by CUE and respective programme regulatory bodies.

The government plans to roll out multi-billion projects within the next four years in its quest to implement its BIG 4 AGENDA.In an exclusive article done by The Star on Friday, the 2019 Draft Budget Policy Statement proposes to spend Sh5.6 trillion in financial years 2019/20 – 2021/22.

Of this, Sh2.01 trillion will be spent on development to “accelerate growth, create jobs, and reduce poverty.”

On housing, Kenyatta intends to construct 500,000 homes in five lots in four years.

Phase one will see 1,640 units built at Park Road, Makongeni (20,000), Shauri Moyo (5,300), Starehe (3,500) and Mavoko (5,500).

Jubilee plans to build 15,000 units by empowering housing associations, 48,000 by counties, and 78,700 by Nairobi and Mombasa counties.

In phase two, counties should put up 45,000 units, Nairobi regeneration (20,000), police (10,000), and 20,000 others at the NSSF land in Mavoko. Private developers will be encouraged via incentives to put up 20,000 units in the same period.

Counties are further expected to construct 45,000 units in the third phase while 20,000 more through redevelopment of Nairobi’s old estates. The government targets 10,000 units under the Police Housing Plan, 20,000 at the NSSF Mavoko land; 10,000 by cooperatives, and 20,000 by private developers.

Other 220,000 units will be put up in the fourth and fifth phase through cooperatives, private developers, and redevelopment of Nairobi’s old estates.

A deal between the government and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOP) should deliver 100,000 affordable units.

“Already, the government has identified appropriate sites for the housing programme and availed 7,000 acres of land.”

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria on February 1 said he was pessimistic the project is achievable.

“Following the zero-based budgeting approach that we have adopted, we have been able to redirect these savings towards Big Four and their enablers, while continuing with pro-poor expenditures in health, education and protecting the vulnerable.”

“To improve efficiency of public investments, we froze initiation of new capital projects until the ongoing ones are complete,” Rotich said in the policy statement.

Kenyatta’s administration has also prioritised provision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) to all. The scheme is at pilot stage in Machakos, Nyeri, Isiolo and Kisumu.

“In order to implement the programmes, the health sector has been allocated Sh93.0 billion, Sh96.0 billion and Sh99.2billion for the financial years 2019/2020, 2020/2021, and 2021/2022 respectively,” the budget plan reads in part.

The state targets the Linda Mama initiative, subsidies for the poor, elderly and vulnerable groups, persons with mental illness, secondary school students and the informal sector.

Health infrastructure will be expanded to include specialised equipment and laboratories.

Education will take the lion’s share of the budget as Kenyatta seeks to recruit teachers to support the 100 per cent transition from class to Form One.

Education has been allocated Sh473.7 billion, Sh492.5 billion and Sh503.98 billion for the three financial years ending 2022.

The monies will be spent on Free Primary Education and Free Day Secondary Education through increased capitation.

The government seeks to continue supporting the special needs education and provision of examination fees for all students writing KCPE and KCSE exams.

“The sector will also complete the ongoing construction and equipment of technical training institutes and support university education in public and private universities,” the policy statement states.

The National Treasury is currently conducting pre-budgeting hearings on the 2019/20 budget in line with requirements for public participation.

Agriculture, a key pillar of the Big Four, has been allocated Sh56.6 billion, Sh59.1 billion and Sh61.2 billion in the said period.

For rapid industrialisation under the manufacturing pillar, Uhuru plans to acquire equipment and machinery for the New KCC, expand dairy processing plants.

The government also plans to improve the ease of doing business, acquire the regional Anti-Counterfeit Agency exhibit warehouses, and establish the Commodities Exchange Platform.

The government seeks to develop Kenanie Leather Industrial Park; complete the Ewaso Ng’iro tannery and leather factory, develop Athi River textile hub as well as construct industrial research laboratories in Kisumu and South B, Nairobi.

The projects will be funded under the General Economics and Commerce Affairs sector at Sh23.9 billion, Sh25.5 billion and Sh26.3 billion in three years.

The National Treasury has also allocated Sh272.1 billion for public administration, Sh200.8 billion for governance, law and order; and Sh146 billion for national security in the next financial year.

The Jubilee administration is also planning to spend Sh82.46 billion to mitigate on matters environment, water and natural resources, and Sh52.8 billion on social protection.

Kiambu County Government has denied reports that it plans to
reposes land belonging to residents who fail to pay their land rates.

While admitting that the law does not allow them to
disinherit those who defaulted on their obligation to pay rates, Lands, Housing, Physical Planning, Municipal
Administration and Urban Development CEC Mr. James Mitambo Maina said that they had opted
to use other alternatives such as offering penalty waivers in a bid to
encourage more people to pay their rates.

“We have no intention of disinheriting anyone’s land to
recover rates arrears. However, we encourage all those who have not paid their
land rates to do so through incentives such as waiving penalties for late
payments,” said the CEC during a Public Participation Forum on land rates at
the Thika Plenary Hall.

Maina added that after listening to the public uproar over
the increment of the land rates, the devolved government decided to suspend
them and organise a fresh round of public participation to incorporate the
residents’ views into the new rates.

“As we stand, these rates have been suspended and we will
revert to the old rates as we head to the process of degazetting them. However,
there has been a lot of misunderstanding with the new rates as we had actually
decreased the amount charged from the previous 0.75% to 0.25% of the value of
your land,” he explained.

He noted that the increase in the land rates had been
necessitated by skyrocketing rise in the value of land within the county.

“The value of a quarter acre piece of land in Ngoingwa
previously was valued at sh. 288,000 attracting land rates at 0.75% then. Today,
the same piece of land goes for sh. 2,160,000 but at the rate of 0.25%, we
hadcharged them at for just sh. 5,400,”
he said.

The CEC admitted that
the county government collected revenue from barely less than 50% of the
private land ownership.

“The value of private land in Kiambu County is worth about sh.
79 billion. Therefore, if everybody pays their rates at the proposed 0.25% of
the value of their land, we will generate approximately sh. 1.7 billion. This
means that we will be able to offer quality services to the residents of Kiambu
County, consequently increase the value of such land significantly,” explained
Maina.

Maina clarified that the rates of land was calculated using
the Undeveloped Site Value (USV) whereby the its value was calculated according
to the value of property investments within its location.

Responding to the CEC’s explanations, the chairperson Thika
District Business Association (TDBA) Alfred Wanyoike commended the county
government’s decision to suspend the new rates. However, he appealed to the
minister to extend the 90-days notice for payment of these rates up to 30th
of April as the confusion emanating from this misunderstanding destabilised
many residents’ financial planning.

He also challenged the county leadership to take recommendations
by members of public seriously as their disregard to the people’s views was
what eventually led to massive default in payment of rates and licenses.

“One of the main reasons why people fail to attend such
forums was because they take them as a waste of time. This is because they feel
that none of their views are taken into account as the public participation
forums are just PR stunts by the authorities who eventually do what they had
planned to do without taking into account the interests of the people they
govern,” said Wanyoike.

Chairman of Peace Campaign and Community Policing Aboo Norein
challenged politicians against using such forums to settle political scores
which ended up being shouting match-ups between warring camps thus beating the
logic for such platforms.

Jesus Thy Kingdom Come...!
I Wambui Mwangi Wokabi, am a living testimony that God is alive. He is here with us. I was hijacked by armed robbers on Wednesday 30th January 2019 on my way from Kijabe AIC hosp. I was driving a Toyota Premio KBZ 859B metallic Silver. I had just finished eating mahindi Choma that I had bought on my way. Upon reaching Kiracha area where the Kamae forest begins, I was flagged to stop by two police men who were clad in full police uniform and branded yellow jackets. They were in the company of another man who was not in uniform, he was in a red T-shir. A navy blue car that was seemingly to be going to the direction I was coming from had also stopped on the road. I thought they had been stopped by the officers just like me. I innocently obliged and one of them asked me why I was overspeeding. "Madam, kwa nini unakimbia? " I replied "mimi sijakimbia kwa sababu hata hii barabara imejaa mashimo." I am not overspeeding because this road is full of potholes. "Then bring your driving licence." The officer demanded. I stretched my left hand to get the DL from my laptop bag that was at the back seat. Before I could unzip the bag, I realized that the officer had his hand on the car unlock key, he ordered me to step out of the vehicle saying "You're under arrest" I asked him, over what? What have I done? By then he was already holding my hand and it is at this point I had a hunch that these were robbers. I asked him to allow me pick my phone and porche. I was whisked to a waiting car and got sandwiched between the two uniformed officers. The one on my right hand ordered me to surrender my car key which I obliged. He ordered me to explain where the cut off for the car was which I did through descriptions as he handed the car key to the man who was in a red T-shirt. He closed the door and asked me to introduce myself. "madam unaitwa nani? " Naitwa "Wambui" I replied. On mentioning my name, he immediately changed the language and started talking to me in Kikuyu. "Rîu Wambui rî, ithuî tûtirî borithi. Ithûî túrî mîici na wîra wiitû nî kûiya na kûraga." Now Wambui, we are not police officers. We are thieves and our job is to steal and kill. I felt a cold shiver down my spine. I started crying and I was scolded with a stern warning that if I will not behave as if we are together and nothing that has happened, I will face the music. The thief on my right handed me a handkerchief and I wiped my tears and pretended that all was well. By then, the vehicle was being driven towards Kamae where I had come from. They covered my head with a headgear that covered even my face but I pleaded with them not to cover my nose. They folded it in a way that my nose was safe telling me that they can't allow me to die before they execute their mission. I could tell that the vehicle left the tarmac and we were driving on a rough road. I was ordered to keep my eyes closed even if I had been covered. They asked for my Equity Bank ATM Pin. I could hear the one on the right side communicate with the thief who was handed my car key. Immediately he finished talking to him, he ordered to tell them where I work without lying. I told him that now that you warned me against lying, I will tell you the truth that I am a reporter and a news correspondent based in Murang'a. On hearing that, he pulled a pistol from his waist and scolded, "You media people are good at reporting that we carry toys. Is this one here a toy gun? He asked me while cocking the gun and I closed my eyes pleading to him that I am ready to do as he orders and thus I have never reported about robbery. The one on the left also removed his pistol and told me to behave nicely that my life is based in how I will behave. The caller from the other end would ask for more time to get to his destination. The robber on my right seemed to be their commander in chief. He would defy his driver's proposal to have me lie on the floor of that car. I remember at some point they quarreled and the commander told the driver, "We can't steal everything from her and then leave her with health problems. That is inhuman!" The driver felt offended and replied to his commander that "I hope you will not let us be deseived by this girl's sweet tongue." The commander told him to keep driving and I could use my hand to pat him as a way of saying thank you. It reached a point I moved my right hand at the back and held on my spine. By the way, Iwas coming from Kijabe hosp for my clinic with a spinal surgeon. It's a treatment I started on August last year and in all this, I have seen God healing me. All my health records including the MRI were in my car. Back to my story in the hands of robbers. I narrated my spinal cord illness story to their commander coz the one on the left seemed uninterested and had moved to the co-driver seat leaving me at the back left and the commander at the back right. We told a lot of stories, at some point we could laugh but my laughter would be cut short on remembering that I was probably laughing my last in this life. My back pain accelerated and I could not relax anymore. The commander dint raise any alarm. He took it easy with me but the thief on the co-driver's seat suddenly shouted "Wee gathee tiga kwîhe mûhiki ûyû! Úyú agútwîka gîcanjama." You boss! Stop giving his woman too much freedom. She might cause us some trouble". The commander replied to him, "just let her be. She is very cooperative". They agreed to take me to a tour which I did not understand what it meant. I pleaded with them not to kill me and again, my good and considerate thief told me, "I don't make promises but I promised not to kill you. So, can you relax!" I apologized. Alas! I smelled a very strong stench of something decomposing. I started vomiting and my good thief gave me a carrier bag to vomit in. He commended me for my cooperation saying am one of a kind. However, he warned me that if I dare trick him with my goodness, they will kill and leave me to rot in the forest. I told him that he only needs to tell me the guidelines or the do's and donts so that I don't mess up. In fact, I asked him to tell me if he sees me make a mistake or even sit in an awkward position. He told me that he is a good teacher in that and would guide me accordingly. Then he engaged me in a Q and A. "Are we bad people?" I said no. "But we have stolen from you?" I replied that no earthly material is compared to human life and since they had spared my life, that shows they are good people. "Wambui you are a very wise girl." We all laughed at the joke. Much of the stories we told surrounded numerous theft they conducted and how the victims behaved. The vehicle stopped at some point and the good commander ordered the co-driver thief to buy me some drinking water since I was still vomiting. He bought water for everyone in the car but I did not drink mine due to vomiting. The commander apologized for making me go through such ordeal and he narrated to me stories that he is an engineer who is jobless but the robbery job is well paying. He told me that he has heavily invested and his wife who coincidentally is called Wambui like me thinks that the husband is a private investor and an interprenuer. We all laughed. All this time, we were still on the move. The car stopped severally and one of the thieves would come out and make a call, visit an ATM or urinate. I kept on pleading to them not to kill me. I told them I had a sick child in the hospital and my husband was unwell, so killing or drugging me would be an end to my entire lineage. I asked the engineer if I could be of help to get him a job and promised that I can help him out but he retorted that once we are done with you today, no more meetings, I insisted that I would like to meet him again, just him and not the others but he objected. Let's get back to around 1pm when my husband called my number and they all went quiet. I asked them, who is calling me? The good thief who by that time was holding my phone said its written husband. I told him to allow me talk to him since he was expecting me at Murang'a town. He reminded me to behave as if all is OK. I told my husband all was well and thus I was on my way back. I added that I was all alone because the child had been admitted. When my husband became inquisitive, I told him we will talk later and hanged on... Back to the engineer story. I requested him to pass me a white-rouded container that was in my porch. He opened it and asked what it was but on seeing a rosary inside the container, he handed it to me very quickly and said, "as you pray, please remember us." The foolish co-driver thief started mocking God and said, "We also pray. Don't think that we are pagans! But your praying won't change any of our plans." I did not respond to him. In fact, I had grown to ignore him and I could only reply to my caring thief who had a human heart. But I told God quietly, "see how your name is being mocked and prove to them that you are God almighty." The commander told them to keep quiet for the prayers but I told them to continue with their stories as I was to pray silently. I want to be sincere here, I tried to pray but I could not. I couldn't even remember the Lord's prayer. Immediately I prayed the first line... Our father who is at heaven... All the other lines disappeared from my memory. The devil was indeed at work! But I remembered a few lines in the Divine Mercy, as I had been taught by my dad Charles Mwangi Mbui, where I only kept on repeating the same thing, "For the sake of his sorrowful passion... Have mercy on us and on the whole world." I repeated that as I touched my rosary beads. After I finished, I did not return the rosary to its white container. I put it on my neck. The rude thief was still interjecting even during my prayer session and I could tell God, please shut his mouth. It reached a point the one who took off with my car made a long call and my good thief had to talk outside the vehicle, probably not to give me too much information or even a clue as to where they were taking my car. . After driving for sometime, my good thief briefed me with a chilling message. "It has come a time that we say goodbye to you Wambui." Tears fell on my clothes and by blouse actually got wet. "You mean after complying to everything that you said I will eventually die? I asked him. He quickly responded, "I don't make promises but I promised you that you won't die for I want you to see your children in the evening just as I will see mine when I get back home today." "But you seem to love the death topic so much, who said that we are going to kill you?" He added. I once again apologize and after travelling for like 10 minutes, he told me that only three minutes left we go our separate ways. This time, I kept quiet and reminded God of the prayers that I had prayed since I was a child. That there is no dustbin to Every prayer. I reminded God of things that I had done to touch the lives of his poor people one case where I reported of a 26 year old Raphael Waweru of Kangema who was seeking financial help for head operation. I reminded God of several issues of Mercy that I had done and asked him to return the favour by saving my life. To my surprise, the compassionate thief said, "I don't understand why am having this feeling that I should not harm you in anyway. An inner voice is telling me to protect you instead" I pat his hand for the second time and replied, "It's because we share one thing in common. The living God that you and I pray. Your God is still my God. You prayed him in the morning to help you get something for your family and eventually get back to your kids safely. This is the same prayer I made to our God and see, the God has made the desires of your heart come true. You successfully hijacked me and got everything that I had. The only thing remaining for you is to see yours kids safe in the evening and that is my desire too. To see mine and attend to the one in hospital. So, please let me see my children and God will forever protect you." I stopped talking. I could feel a sign of relief from them all. The vehicle stopped. None said a word. After two minutes, my good hearted robber opened the door and stepped out. It took like a minute before he opened the left door where I was seated from outside. He called my name softly, "Wambui" I did not talk. I was in tears. I knew my time do die has come. "Stop crying because I have not hurt you in anyway and I have no time to waste. If you annoy me, I will be violent on you." He asked me out of the car. "Can I open my eyes now?" I asked. He said I should not open the eyes. It is at this point I knew my time to be alive is up. Since my head was still covered and I could not see ehere to step, I stretched my left hand to him. He held my hand. Helped me out of the car and we both made about six steps forward. I held his hand so tight because probably this is the last human being to hear my voice under the sun. I requested him to just give me a few seconds to say a word. He agreed. "May God bless you for protecting me from being hurt in this process. May the car and everything that you stole from me be of help to you." I told him. He said an Amen and also blessed me with this words,"Thank you too Wambui for being so cooperative. Given a chance, I would wish to meet you again but that would be risky for me and may God help you get more than what we have taken from you that the next time we bump on you, we will have something to steal and probably treat you much better because you have a good heart." I replied with two Amen's "Amen! Amen! " After my Amen, he removed my head gear from behind and asked me to remember the rules that I should not look back. I said a thank-you as he bid be goodbye.

JOURNEY THROUGH THE FOREST
I started walking. My first four steps were shacky and my heart went cold. I was waiting to hear a gun shot that would have dropped me dead. I walked through the rough road without looking up or back! There was no sound. Just a quiet forest and the abandoned rough road. I lifted my head straight and I could only see bends ahead of me and a heavy thicket in the forest. No turning back! That warning kept on lingering my mind. After walking for like 10 minutes without seeing any sign of human life, no bodaboda, no vehicle. As I kept on walking, I heard the sound of a dog gnashing of bones. I stopped still. I looked at the right hand side where the sound was coming from but I could not see due to the heavy thicket. I held my rosary on the neck so tight and talked to God quietly. "Ooh God! You saved me from dying through a bullet, please don't let me die in the teeth of an animal. Upon making this short prayer, I looked up in the skies and saw a very bright blue sky that gave me hope. I asked God to give me a sign of how I will get outside the deep forest. And before I could stop staring at the beautiful skies, I asked myself how stupid I was to walk so deep into the forest without thinking that the robbers were directing me that way for them to escape. I gained courage and turned back to where I was coming from. I started walking back. I looked at the farthest corner but i could not see the robbers anywhere. That means they never followed me, I thought to myself. I started panting because I was walking faster to come out of the forest and at the same time, I was looking back several times out of fear of the unknown animal that was gnashing bones. At times I could hold my breath using my hand due to heavy breathing. All this time, I was lifting my hands up asking God to send me an angel who would lead me out of the forest. After walking for about 40 minutes, I was losing hope. I was fatigued and worn out. My feet were arching. I saw an opening ahead of me and on getting there, it was tarmacked road. I lifted both my hands up and shouted, "Praise be to Jesus! Thank you Jesus!" I immediately held my mouth using the palm of my hands on remembering that am still in the forest and not yet off the hook. After some time, private vehicles were plying from left or right direction but none stopped for me. They just passed me by, probably thinking am being used to trap them. I don't blame them though! Later, my angel in the name of Nissan Matata came by and I stood right at the middle of the road. It stopped and the driver was angrily asked me if I wanted to kill myself. I told him that I was looking for help and upon showing him the rough road that I came by, he was shocked and told me that I indeed pray a living God. On our way, I asked the conductor where we were and he said that the road was headed to Gakoe, Thika. I asked for his phone and called my husband where I told him what has befell me. I was dropped at the Gakoe roadblock where God sent me another angel in the name of Kuria Kengen. He stopped and asked me what I was doing there and I told him he had been sent by God. Apparently, Kuria was driving to Magumu to take back a car, which he had been given by a man who found him in an accident scene three days ago. The man gave him his vehicle and told him that he believes he will get back his car by Wednesday. So, Kuria wanted to take the car back to the owner in the morning but unfortunately, his wife called him saying she had been arrested in her car by traffic officers. So, Kuria had to sort out the mess first only to embark on his journey to return the car that afternoon and find me at the roadblock. I had borrowed an officer's mobile phone and called a colleague Dennis Kabiru of Citizen tv and briefed him on what had happened to me. He promised to circulate the message so that the vehicle can be found. My colleagues Victor Kinuthia (Inooro FM) and George Konami (Kameme FM) moved with speed to circulate the message. At Gakoe police post, I was directed to Magumu police station with officers telling me that the theft dint happen within their area of jurisdiction. One of them who looked like a senior was very annoying and never paid attention to my story. He rushed to conclusions that someone, probably a friend must have been behind my woes. One junior officer volunteered to stop vehicles on the road to lift me up. I was lifted in a white salon car and true to God's promise, the couple with their children said are from Kangema and were travelling to Olkarau. On reaching Magumu area, Mama Gakenia asked her husband to assist me with bus fare that would enable be reach Murang'a. He dashed into an Mpesa shop and handed me over Sh.1,000 loose cash. I was very grateful and asked for their contacts which they wrote on a piece of paper. At Magumu police station, I was told that area is classified under Nyandarua County hence I had to go report at Kijabe police station. A very hospitable officer at Magumu called Karuri narrated how he was stolen a brand new Toyota Premio KCF right outside Turskys Supermarket in Thika. He was in the company of his grand daughter who was lifted by the thugs from the co-drivers seat and thrown at the back. He counselled me and I really felt that I had met someone who really understood what I was going through. Thanks Karani. As he was talking to me, remember the angle God had sent at the Gakoe roadblock? Kuria! He joined me at the Magumu police station, This time with the elderly man who had given him his car and two of his sons! The old man lifted us to the main road where Kuria and I boarded a Matatu to Kijabe police station. Kuria called my husband who by this time was on his way to Kijabe, with his close friend Dr. Humphrey Gikonyo. They had passed through Kiambu for fear of what had happened to me along Kamae -Thika road. We found very caring officers at the station. Led by Mr. Sugut, Mr. Mulinge and a lady whom I did not get her name, handled us professionaly until midnight when I finished recording all the statements and abstracts given. My colleagues from Nyandarua County Lydia Wairimu Mwangi and Mugo managed to get my husband's contact and were keeping track of everything. Indeed, God sent me the angels I prayed for at the forest. From the station to the main road is quite a distance and we all fitted into Dr. Gikonyo's car. Don't ask me how many we were please. We dropped the officers at the main road where their boss Mr. Sugut was waiting and we proceeded to Nairobi then Murang'a. I fell deep asleep somewhere along the way. I was tired and exhausted. I had not eaten a thing coz I had vomited the mahindi Choma in the forest. We arrived Murang'a at around 3am. My first born son woke up gave me big hug! He was already aware that his mother had been kidnapped by armed robbers. He told me, "mummy, am glad to see and hug you." I told him I was ok and thus he could get back to bed because tomorrow (Thursday) is school day.

I am writing this to tell of the glory of God! Triumph through prayer. Never cease to pray even if you feel that you are dead inside, just say a word to our God.

DEDICATION
To the Armed robbers, I salute you for not hurting me. Yes, you took every material thing I had: My car and all my working tools, including my medical records but you spared my life. To the thief who was sited on my right hand side: you are the first angel that God sent across. You made the four hours of my kidnapping easy. You are truly a human being and for sure, you will see heaven because I know you will repent very soon. Thank you so much for being nice to me. To all my colleagues, presenters and anchors of different media houses, words alone can't describe my gratitude, to my friends even on social media, you are a blessing and to the security officers, I was impressed by your service BUT please, investigate amongst yourselves who are the criminals. No thief would dress in police gear and risk stopping vehicles in the name of an officer. To date, I still believe that those who robbed from me are police officers but unfortunately, they had covered my face and i can't identify none of them. To my beloved husband, thank you for unending support. I thank God that I am the one who was hijacked. They told me openly that majority of men are stubborn and resistant thus they kill them first. I know you. I know you would not have let go of your hard earned properties go just like that without putting up a fight. That is why God made sure you was not with me as usual that specific day. Indeed, he is God!
To my parents, and entire family, am very sorry for he mental torture.

To my God almighty, I thank-you for saving my life and putting the devil to shame. I will forever serve you my Lord Jesus!!!